Babysitting
by boyslikegirlslikeboys
Summary: Jace goes to the park and sees Cassidee telling a story. JacexOC Rated T to make me feel safe:


**A/N: Inspired by babysitting some really cute kids and a conversation with a friend.**

Cassidee sat cross-legged in the middle of the park, a book open in her lap and kids crowded around her. Jace walked up silently, unnoticed by the group. As he watched, leaning against a tree, he heard Cassidee reading.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful mermaid princess who lived under the sea in a city called Atlantica. She was in love with a human prince –"

"I've already heard this story!" One child complained. Cassidee looked up with a smile, adjusting the pink bow in the little girl's blond hair.

"All right, Helen, would you like me to make up a story?" Helen nodded, blue eyes shining brightly. A boy with an action figure in his hand looked up at Cassidee.

"Can there be a monster in it?"

"Sure, Nolan." Cassidee closed the book, setting it aside and pulling two children onto her lap. One was a tiny girl in a red polka-dot dress with intelligent brown eyes and an open, trusting face. The other was a young boy with a mop of very fine blond hair and wide blue irises. It was clear to Jace that the two in Cassidee's lap were too young to talk, but Helen and Nolan were nearly five and very vocal.

"Alright, here I go." Cassidee said, making up a story. "Once upon a time, there was an evil green monster with red eyes and scary horns. Everybody was afraid of the monster because he looked so scary. But one day, the monster kidnapped a beautiful princess. He said that the princess had to marry him, because he was actually a prince who had been turned into a monster. The princess agreed to marry the beast, and when he put the diamond ring on her finger, he turned into a handsome prince with golden hair and golden eyes and golden skin. The princess fell in love with him, and the prince and the princess lived happily ever after."

"That was pretty, Cassidee," Helen said, clapping her hands in delight.

"I like the scary monster the best," Nolan stated, playing with his toy. Cassidee turned her attention towards the little ones in her lap.

"Did you like the story, Zach?" She asked, bouncing the boy on her knee slightly. He looked up at her with his contemplative eyes and patted her cheek twice with his chubby little hand. Cassidee grinned, then swept a lock of curly brown hair behind the girl's ear. "Brittany, did you like the story?" Brittany just wrapped her small arms around Cassidee's neck. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, time to head home." She set the children on the ground, standing up and brushing off the back of her pants. Jace turned, preparing to leave so she wouldn't know he'd been there, but the sound of his name made him halt. "Jace, would you like to help me?"

Cassidee had one hand resting on Nolan's head, the other held out towards Jace, beckoning him closer. He came towards her, and watched Helen's eyes grow impossibly large.

"That's the prince!" Helen squealed, tugging on the hem of Cassidee's shirt, making the older girl smile happily.

"Indeed he is, Helen," Cassidee stated, a faint blush on her cheekbones. She scooped up Brittany, eliciting a gleeful laugh from the child, and made as if to give her to Jace. He held out his hands awkwardly, and Cassidee laughed at him. Balancing Brittany on her hip, she used her free hand to position Jace's arms correctly before setting the little girl in them. "Relax, Jace. She won't bite. Just let her sit on your hipbone. She knows what she's doing, don't you, Brit?" The child looked up at Jace gravely, putting one hand on his shoulder and settling into a comfortable position. Jace found that it was natural to hold the girl.

"Cassidee!" Helen chirped, and the babysitter crouched down so Helen could whisper into her ear. After Cassidee straightened up, a small smile playing around the corners of her lips, Helen skipped over to Jace and took his hand, beaming up at him. "Hi, Mr. Prince," She giggled, and Jace's eyes meet Cassidee's. He was surprised and, admittedly, a little scared, to see a certain thoughtfulness in them.

"Okay, boys, let's go," She said, playfully swinging Nolan's hand in hers while holding Zach on her hip. Jace walked alongside her, watching her face. Her brown irises seemed to be clouded. Suddenly, though, they cleared, and she glanced at Jace.

"You're pretty good with them," She stated, nodding her head at his shoulder. He looked down, seeing that Brittany was snoozing, her tiny lips parted in a soundless snore. Rather than making a sarcastic comment about being good with the ladies, Jace was quiet, feeling the corners of his mouth turn up in a little smile. "You'll make a good dad." Jace's head whipped around, staring at his girlfriend in shock. Her eyes were trained on the ground, face bright red as if she couldn't believe that she'd spoken the words aloud.

"Hey," He said, his voice low. Cassidee looked up, and her lips were greeted by his, once. He pulled away, a smirk on his face and a strange sense of bliss in his heart. "You'll make a great mother," He told her, managing to free his hand from Helen's long enough to brush her cheek with his thumb. They walked out of the park in a large group, both Jace's mind and Cassidee's thinking about their future children.

Cassidee pictured a little boy with golden hair and deep brown eyes. Jace saw a little girl with long tawny hair and gold-flecked irises.

In both of their visions, however, they saw each other as the parents.

**A/N: Sooooooooooooo? Do you likeee? Reviews are greeted with hugs and love!**


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